Author: jpretorious

I'm a web & social media professional who loves to communicate through online channels to help others get the information they need.
I started off building websites from scratch via command line using HTML and have expanded my technical skills throughout the years with CSS, JavaScript, some Perl, and dabbled in PHP.
I am a WordPress advocate because of the community, the flexibility of the software, and that it allows me to build websites for non-technical users to empower them to update content without them having to learn to code.
I tend to think of myself as a "Jill of All Trades" because I am a hybrid that enjoys using my technical skills and my non-techncial skills to fill in the gaps where ever I am needed on a project or within a team.
My project management skills have enabled me to be successful in managing vendors, team members, and meet goals & milestones on time.
I have successfully managed several brands through social media using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
G+, and Pinterest. I am Hootsuite certified and use this tool to manage several accounts.
Throughout my experience I have been quick to learn several content management systems, collaboration tools, and look forward to learning new systems in the future.
To me it's all about effective online communication. Whether it's websites or social media engaging with your community with the information that is useful to them is what I am passionate about.

Samson is our 8 year old yellow Labrador. He is a very sweet dog who became part of our family purely by accident. He followed our daughter and our oldest lab Buddy home one day when we lived in Truckee, CA. We came to find out that his current owner was moving and Samson was not going with her. So, we had a couple of play dates and decided he was a good fit into our family. Little did we know that it was going to take a lot of patience and consistency for him to integrate into the family. The first year and half was a trying one and I can proudly say that Samson has been a part of our family for 5 years now! (more…)

I've been thinking about strategies that social media company's put into place to keep us on their platform. Specifically I've been thinking about Facebook & relationship reminders. They are very good at reminding us about the past by using a variety of strategies to keep us engaged and active. What do you think about how they try to keep us on their platform? On This Day Once a day every day I get a notification of my posts from previous years. I happen to enjoy these posts. They are great reminders of things I thought were important or wanted to share with others. However, not everyone feels this way. How do you feel about your past posts in a feed called "On This Day"? (Login to Facebook to see your…

What a year it's been! 2017 included lot's of travel, three WordCamps, exploring Oregon & Washington, entertaining friends, trying new things, and spending as much time as I can with the hubby! At first I didn't even realize how much I packed in this year. Here is a little insight to what my year was like. (more…)

Where to start? I have been MIA "Missing In Action" from my own website. I haven't written or posted anything since February. It's been a combination of things keeping me away from writing my thoughts. I certainly have come up with a bunch of ideas to write about but have not had the will or the motivation to do so. What I really think it's come down to is I've been depressed. (more…)

About a year ago I decided to check into what the Whole30 was. I had seen a lot of chatter online talking about starting the Whole30 challenge from The Abbi Agency taking on the challenge as a team in January 2016. It left me curious what it was and why would you do it. (more…)

Social media customer service is a powerful tool. It can make or break someone's day. I recently traveled to Dallas, Texas for the very first time. I had never flown to the Dallas Fort Worth Airport before and I was not aware of how complicated it was. (more…)

Bridget Willard a.k.a "You Too Can Be A Guru" is a smart and funny lady. She is also my friend. I don't think I am biased when I say you can learn a lot from Bridget. Back in October Bridget gave her first WordCamp talk at WordCamp Cincinnati and I am very proud of her! It takes guts to get up in front of people and talk. (more…)

2016 was the year of discovery & change for me. I discovered how to eat healthier, to be more confident, to build relationships online, and that I could put faith in others to help me out when I needed it. (more…)

What do you love? It's a simple question but it may be a little tougher for you to answer than you think. My motto is to "Live, Love, Laugh" but sometimes it's hard to remember when life gets in the way. Boy, does life get in the way! Lately I've been feeling a little blue. I can't explain it and there is no "real" reason to feel this way. I just do. (more…)

A week ago today I was attending day 2 of WordCamp US. It was quite an adventure getting to Philadelphia but I made it there! I am so glad I attended the biggest WordCamp in the United States. It was definitely worth the rearranging of schedules, long plane rides, sleep deprivation, and the anxiety of the unknown. (more…)